Electrical cable with intermediate disconnect means



July 29, 1952 R. K. scHl-:LKE 2,605,314

ELECTRICAL CABLE WITH INTERMEDIATE nTscoNNEcT MEANS Filed June 11, 1948 lua, 3Q 9c /4. /C

Patented July 29, 1952 ELECTRICAL `CABLE WITH INTERMEDIATE DxscoNNEoT MEANS Robert K. Schelke, Richmond, Ind., assigner to Belden Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill.,

a corporation oflllinois p Appleman Junen, 194s, serial No. '32,451

. 6 claims. (crine-324) The present invention relates generally to multi-conductor electrical cables and in particular to a disconnecting or open-circuiting device which is adapted to form an integral portion oi suoli cables.

In servicing and testing electrical equipment such as calculating machines, bookkeeping inachin'es, electronic apparatus, and the like, it is often necessary to disconnect one or more of the conductors contained in a multi-conductor supply or interconnecting cable for the period of the test while maintaining the electrical continuity of the Vremaining conductors. The obtaining of thisY open circuit with conventional. multiconductor cables usually requires the removal of one or more of the conductors from the associated connector plug or socket for the period oi the test, and after the test is completed the conductor. must be restored to its original condition. These are often time consuming operations because of the diiiic'ulty of locating the proper 'conductor ,in the cable and .the tedious procedure involved in properly dismantling and reassembling the connector plug. Moreover, after the serviceman or operator has finished the test, he sometimes fails to replace the open circuited conductor in the proper manner with the result that the operation of the equipment may be erratio.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is the provision of an open-circuiting or disconnect device for multiple conductor electrical cables which shall constitute an integral part of the cable, which shall be positivein action,.and which shall be simple and inexpensive to manufacture. A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the class described which shall include visual means for indicating whether the proper cable is open circuited or is in current carrying condition. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be made clear by the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary, elevational view, partially in section, showing an electrical cable which is provided with an open circuit or disconnectdevice in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-,2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, elevational view, partially'in section, of a modied disconnect device in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, partially in section, of another modied disconnect device in accordance with the invention.

`The two embodiments of the invention shown inthe drawings are particularly adapted for use with a three conductor cable, and are so illustrated. It will be understood, however, that the features of the invention are applicable for use with other known types of conductor cables, without regard to the number of yconductors included in such cable, The cable 5, associated with the vdisconnect Adevice illustrated in Fig. l, has-an outer covering of insulating material l which encloses three, individually insulated, metallic conductors (9a,.9b, and 9c respectively; the individual insulating jackets are indicated as IIa, IIb, and IIc in the drawings. The ,usual fibrous ller or cords I3 occupy the space between the insulated conductors, and the entire assemblage of the `filler cords I3 and the conductors is enclosed within a braid I4 onto which the nsulating V covering 1 is extruded or otherwise formed (Figs. l and 4,). The `iiller cords I3 increasethe strength and iiexibility of the cable.

The disconnect construction of this embodiment of the invention is enclosed within a body I5 rof resilient plastic or other rubber-like compound which is molded about the cable 5 intermediate its ends, the body I5 insulating the various conductors one from the other and maintaining the various members in their predetermined positions. Before the disconnect body I5 is molded to the cable 5, the outer insulating covering 'I of the cable 5 is stripped back to expose the nbrous iillerlcorrds I3 and the individual insulated conductors 9. Desirably, the brous ller cords I3 are not cut when theginsulating covering 1 is stripped back. ln the devices illustrated the nller cords extend unbroken through the region of the device, zhowev'erfor the purpose of clarity oneof the cords I3 is broken away to show various features ofthe invention. After the outer rinsulating covering of the cable has been removed in they desi-rediregion, the conductor which is to be open-crcuited during test is cut, and its asso,-v ciated insulating jacket is stripped away from each yend section ofthe metallic conductor. A conventional contactlug orterminal member I'I is then crimped or soldered onto each of the free endsof the-disunited conductor. f

the illustrated structure, each of the ter ini-nal members Il and II includes al iiattened contact portion I9 and I9 respectively having an opening vor aperture 250 therein for attachment to a binding post or the like. In order that the terminals may be mechanically and electrically connected together by a metallic connection, one of them, I1', is provided with a threaded fastening means. In the illustrated structure the threaded fastening means constitutes a nut 2| which is soldered or otherwise attached to the contact portion I9 of the terminal I1', the passageway through the nut being arranged to align with the opening through the portion I9. If a terminal of relatively heavy construction is used, the aperture in the flat terminal portion may itself be threaded.

When assembling the device for the molding operation the two terminals I1 and I1 are spaced apart by means of an insulating washer 23, the terminal I1', to which is attached the nut 2I, being placed closely adjacent the continuous conductors as illustrated particularly in Fig. 2. The openings or apertures 20 in the terminals I1 and I1 and the opening in the insulating washer 23 are aligned with one another and a suitable threaded molding arbor (not shown) is screwed into the nut 2I to tightly engage the three elements together in superposed layers. The entire assemblage is positioned within a suitable mold, a mass of rubber or other resilient insulating material is placed in the mold, and in accordance with normal procedure, heat and pressure are applied to integrally mold the insulating material to the insulating covering 1 of the cable. After the molding operation is completed, the arbor is removed leaving a radially extending passageway in the insulating body I5; this passageway provides access to the terminal portions I9 and I9', as will be hereinafter described. The terminals I1 and I1' may be insulated one from the other by the insulating body I5. This can be accomplished by providing a keyway or the like in the apertures 20 and by fabricating the molding arbor with a key which is adapted to engage the keyways in the apertures 20. The key and keyways should be proportioned in a manner such that upon turning the arbor relative to the terminals I1 and I1', the key will hold the terminals spaced apart. The insulating body I5 can then be molded in place, and, after the molding operation, the arbor can be removed before the resilient insulating body has completely hardened, the terminals I1 and I1 then being held spaced apart and insulated by the resilient insulating body.

The disconnect device illustrated in Fig. 1 is particularly useful for opening and closing the ground circuit in a three wire cable. When the electrical connection is to be made between the two terminal portions I1 and I1', a connecting or contact member 25 having a threaded shank 21 and a knurled knob or head 29 is passed through the passageway 25 to engage the nut 2I. To facilitate easy removal of the connecting member 26, a helical spring 3I is interposed between the upper terminal portion I9 and the knurled head 29. The spring also assures the obtaining of a, reliable, low resistance electrical contact -between the terminal portions I9 and I9' when the connecting member 26 is screwed in place. In the event that the construction is to be used on an energized conductor, the knurled knob 29 should be made from plastic or other suitable non-conducting material.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 3 is particularly useful when it is desirable to connect and disconnect two of the conductors in a cable 1, the cable I and its components being designated with the saine reference numerals-used 4 in Figs. 1 and 4. The particular disconnect device illustrated at 33 includes two disconnecting units, indicated at 35 and 31, each of which is connected into a separate conductor; for the purpose of illustration, the units are made in different manners. In certain respects disconnecting unit 35 is generally similar to the disconnect device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and the elements which are identical carry the same Vdesignating numerals as in Figs. 1 and 2, except that they are provided with a suffix a. However, in disconnect unit 35 the knurled knob 23a and the shank 21a are made of different materials, the knob 29a being fabricated from an insulating plastic and the shank 21a. being fabricated from a conducting material. The spring 3I is omitted in this construction and the electrical connection is made by a contact or collar 39 which is carried by the shank 21a and which is adapted to contact the terminal portion I9a.

The second disconnect unit 31, which forms a part of the disconnect device 33, is also generally similar to the Fig. 1 construction, and the various elements which are identical to those described are designated by the same numeral with the added suffix la The main difference between the unit 31 and the unit 33 is that in unit 31 the connecting member 4I comprises a round-headed machine screw 4I or the like. This arrangement has the advantage that the head of the connecting member 4I can be positioned below the surface of the resilient body I5a, and a suitable plastic or rubber-like plug 43 can then be inserted in the passageway 25 to protectively close the outer portion of the resilient body. The two disconnect units 35 and 31 may be located side by side, as illustrated. or they may be angularly disposed relative to one another. The angular disposition of the devices will be found particularly useful when a multiplicity of disconnects are to be provided.

t is apparent that each of the conductors within'the cable can be provided with a disconnect device in accordance with the invention, and in the event that provision is made for disconnecting one or more energized conductors it is desirable to fabricate the protecting plugs 43 or the knurled heads 29 from various colored materials. In the alternative, the knurled heads can be fabricated in distinctive shapes or the cross sectional'shape of the passageways can be varied to indicate the proper connections to the service man.

In certain instances it may be desirable to employ a disconnect device for effecting a multiple, molded splice. A three-way splice construction embodying various features of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. In the illustrated structure a three conductor cable 45 is spliced to a two conductor cable 41, one of the conductors of the two conductor cable being connected to one of the conductors of the three conductor cable and the other 0f the conductors of the two conductor cable being connected by the disconnect device 49 to two of the conductors of the three conductor cable.

The disconnect device 49 includes terminals Ela, 5Ib, and 5Ic, one of which is attached to each of the conductors to be interconnected. A threaded fastening means 53 is attached to the terminal 5Ia, and an insulating washer 55 is adapted to insulate terminal 5Ia from terminal 5Ib. A spring-type lock washer 51 is positioned on the terminal SIb, the lock washer 51 being proportioned toengage `a .contact means, the shoulder'59 of a shoulderscrewfl. Theter.- minal 5Ic, which is providedwith an aperture of sufiicientsize to admit the shoulder 59 of lthe shoulder screw 6I, islfpositioned above they lock washer 51 and is insulated therefrom byan insulating washer y63..' The head of the shoulder screw 6| engages vthe terminal 5|c toa springtype lock washer. xto complete the assemblage. The entire assemblage is then enclosed within a body of resilient insulating material `61. -The shoulder screw 6l, .the contact member, may be moved into and Iout. of the bodyk ofl resilient yinsulating materialto` e'iiect the interconnection and disconnection of the three terminals and their associated conductors.

The novel disconnect or open-circuiting device described in the foregoing is simple to construct and economical to manufacture, and is substantially unbreakable in use. The device in its preferred form includes a resilient body of insulating material which is molded onto the insulating covering of the cable, in a manner such that each of the elements of -the device is anchored within the kbody and is protectively'surrounded at'all times. The. fibrous filler cords, which maintain the flexibilityand strength yoi the associated cable, extend unbroken through the insulating' body, therebygreatly increasing the strength and durabilityof the device. As has been pointed out above, positive identification ofthe various conductors in the insulating body can be accomplished by either color kcoding or shape coding the connecting means; this speeds and simplifies testing and servicing operations. Various features of the invention which are believed to be new are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In electrical apparatus, an electrical cable comprising an outer covering of resilient insulating material Within which are disposed a plurality of individually insulated conductors and a fibrous ller or cord, a body of resilient insulating material integrally molded about a portion of said cable intermediate its ends, at least one of the conductors of said cable being disunited in the region of the said cable which is within said body of resilient material, said other conductors and said fibrous iiller being continuous, a terminal member attached to each of the ends of said disunited conductor, said terminal members overlying one another and being held in spaced-apart relation by said body of resilient insulating material, and a unitary contact meme ber movable into and out of said resilient body to electrically connect and disconnect said terminal members.

2. In electrical apparatus of the class described, an electrical cable which includes an outer covering of resilient insulating material having a plurality of conductors disposed there in, a body of resilient insulating material disposed about, and integrally molded to, a portion of said cable intermediate its ends, at least one of the plurality of conductors of said cable being disunited in the region of said cable within said body of resilient insulating material, a terminal member attached to each of the ends of said disunited conductor within said body of insulating material, said terminal members being held in superposed spaced-apart relation by said body of insulating material, an aperture in each of said terminal members, a passageway in said body of insulating material connecting the apertures of each of saidfterminal members and communicating with the surface of saidbody of insulating material, and a contact member movable into and out of said passageway to electrically and mechanically connect and disconnect said terminal members.

3. In combination in electrical apparatus, an electrical cable comprising an outer covering of resilient insulating -material within which. are disposed `a plurality4 of individual conductors, a body of resilient insulating material disposed about and integrally molded to a portion ofk said cable intermediate the ends thereof, at leastone of the conductors of said cable being disunited in the region of said cable which is within said body of resilient material, a vterminal member attached to each of the ends of said disunited conductor, supplemental insulating material intermediate said, terminal members, said terminal members being held in superposed spaced-apart relation by said supplemental insulating material and being engageably held in position relative to one another by said body of insulating material, said terminal members being spaced a vdistance substantially less than the thickness of said body, apertures in said supplemental insulating material and in each of said terminalmembers, said apertures being alignedin relation with oneanother, a passageway in saidL body of insulating material communicating with said apertures and with the surface of said body, and a contact member movable into and out of said passageway to 'electrically connect and disconnect said terminal members.

4. In combination in electrical apparatus, an electrical cable comprising an outer covering of resilient insulating material having a plurality of conductors disposed therein, a body of resilient insulating material disposed about and integrally molded to a portion of said cable intermediate the ends thereof, at least one of the plurality of conductors of said cable being disunited in the region of said cable which is within said body of said resilient material, a terminal member attached to each of the ends of said disunited conductor, said terminal members being held in superposed spaced-apart relation by portions of said body of insulating material, apertures in each of said terminal members, said apertures being aligned in relation with one another, a passageway in said body of insulating material communicating with said apertures and with the surface of said body, a unitary contact member movable into and out of said passageway to engage and disengage, and electrically and mechanically connect and disconnect said terminal members, said contact member and said body of resilient insulating material being proportioned so that said contact member is disposed entirely within the passageway, and a plug member for closing the outer end of said passageway whereby said terminal members and said contact member are protectively enclosed.

5. In combination in electrical apparatus, a rst electrical cable including at least one conductor, a second electrical cable including a plurality of conductors, and means for splicing at least one of said conductors of said first cable to a plurality of said conductors of said second cable in a manner such that said spliced together conductors may be electrically connected and disconnected at will, said splicing means including a body of resilient insulating material integrally attached about the adjacent end portions of each of said cables. a terminal member attached to each of the ends of the conductors of said first and second cables within said body of insulating material, said terminal members being held in superposed spaced apart relation by a portion of said body of resilient material so as to be electrically insulated from one another, an aperture in each of said terminal members, a passageway in said body of insulating material connecting the apertures of each of said terminal members and communicating with the surface of said body of insulating material, and a connecting member movable into and out of said passageway to engage and disengage, and electrically connect and disconnect the ends of said conductors of said first and second cables which are to be spliced.

6. In combination with electrical apparatus, an electrical cable comprisingr an outer covering of resilient insulating material within which is disposed a plurality of individual conductors, a body of resilient insulating material disposed about and integrally molded to a portion of said cable intermediate the ends thereof, at least one of the conductors ofV said cable being disunited in the region of said cable which is within the body of said resilient material, a terminal member attached to each of the ends of the said disunited member, said terminal members being in overlying relation, intermediate said terminal members, said terminal members being held in spaced-apart relation bysaid supplemental insulating member, said terminal members and said supplemental insulating member being held in position by said body of resilient insulating material, apertures in said supplemental insulatina material and in each o! said terminal members, said apertures being aligned with relation to one another, a passageway in said body of insulating material communicating with said apertures and with the surface of said body, a contact member movable into and out of said passageway to engage and disengage, and to electrically connect and disconnect said terminal members, said contact member including an enlarged head portion and a shank which is adapted to be mechanically fastened to one of said terminal members, and a spring which is disposed intermediate the other of said terminal members and the head portion of said contact member.

ROBERT K. SCHELKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 895,977 Dawber Aug. 11, 1908 913,809 Carr Mar. 2, 1909 1,946,889 Wessel Feb. 13, 1934 2,253,830 Winterhalter Aug. 26, 1941 2,437,358 Mowery Mar. 9, 1948 2,475,184 Hudson July 5, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 386,135 Germany Dec. 14, 1923 475,945 Great Britain Nov. 29, 1937 484,541 Great Britain May 6, 1938 

